The Raven's Daughter
by broken-hearts-always-lie
Summary: AU: During a storm a small family of five enters Storybrooke, only to change it's future and gain the adoration of the towns occupants in their wake. The only problems? One of them is 'cursed', the second is hellbent on keeping his sister away from her true love, while the youngest has the power to end all curses and magic as they know it.


~If OUAT were mine Kristin Bauer would be a permanent cast member, and Rumple would still be alive.~ (The only thing I own are the O.C.'s)  
Italics are for thoughts, flashbacks, and dreams.  
Feedback would be much appreciated**  
**(This is the revised version of the first two chapters of the original story, as I have chosen to take a different path with it.)**  
****Don't Like? Don't read**

**Warnings (for the future): **Mention of abuse, rape, and self-harm(briefly). Cussing, violence, and unnecessary amounts of smut and fluff in the future. AU obviously, so anything could go crazy at any given moment, but you'll always be warned ahead of time.

* * *

******Storybrooke General Hospital – Present Time**

"You're gonna be okay, we got you baby."

"You need to wait outside."

"Like Hell."

"Mal-" Regina's voice cut through the mixed haze of Maleficent and one of the three (four?) nurses surrounded her as she tried her best to calm the normally cold and emotionless fae.

"Whoever did this will lose their head."

Mina tried to focus in on any object in particular. She could hear Maleficent talking, yet every time she tried to say something, or acknowledge her it seemed she was helpless and unable to move.

She could tell that her beloved needed comfort, more than it seemed Mina needed at the moment.

Aside from sleeping and relieving the horrid pain and pressure in her torso it was the only thing that Mina could think of in that moment as wheels of the old gurney rolled painfully along the hospitals halls.

They wanted to separate Mina from her.

_Not again._

The idea of no longer being able to spend her last moments with Mal somehow forced her to try and reach out despite the lull of adrenaline trying to force her into another black-out. Of course, in the pit of her stomach she knew she would survive, she always did. That didn't make the unending pain and fear of being separated from the Dragon Queen at what could be a crucial moment any easier on her.

For the second time in her life as she allowed the black spots to overcloud her vision she hoped she would wake up, as a life with her true love would be the only one worth living after the wound of losing her still lying fresh in her mind and heavy in her heart.

* * *

**- ********1 year ago (roughly mid-February) -**

It was very easily the worst winter Storybrooke had seen in ages.

What had started out just light snow shower had taken out the power in half of the town.. not to mention having broken nearly two of the windows in Granny's diner.

That was when Mary Margaret had gotten the ''brilliant'' idea of gathering all of the occupants of Storybrooke into the local hospital, and although the idea of spending the entire night with the 'Charming' family hadn't thrilled Regina in the slightest, at least she would not have to worry about Henry's whereabouts. Had such a night happened before Henry had been rescued, the brunette would have most likely set fire to half the building within the hour. At least then she wouldn't have to hear the constant complaints of people being cold; emergency generators could only do so much, and there were plenty of hospital blankets being handed around. It seemed that the people of Storybrooke had long since forgotten the hardships of a real winter living under the curse. One would think that the improvements that came from a 'land without magic' would be noted, but alas, she was still the evil queen to many no matter what position in the town she held.

Regina was mayor of the town under the condition of Mary Margaret acting as a second mayor below her (as if being Henry's teacher hadn't been enough), which meant she had been obligated to help out with the head count, a task that proved to be more than aggravating for the Queen..

However, since she did cast the curse and decided who came and who went, which did give her a slight advantage in the process, making it much quicker than she had previously thought.

Finding the two idiots, Emma, and Regina's son had been her first priority after arriving at the hospital (more or less to make sure the Saviors death trap didn't kill all four.. Although she wouldn't mind waking up with Snow and her doting lover Charming), and it hadn't taken very long to find the drunken Dwarves in the front entrance. The nuns of course, every single annoying one of them, had been in the hospital chapel or giving assistance towards the nurses with anyone in need. Eugenia had decided to stay and look after the bed and breakfast. And the list went on: Ruby, several local business owners, teachers, all had been accounted for with the exception of Archie and Pongo.

Archie was of mild importance to her; however, the Evil Queen had irritably grown a soft spot for the dog and no matter how much she tried to deny it, Regina Mills was worried.

Worried about a four legged, spotted, drooling fur ball.. She was pretty sure that Henry was still making her heart go softer by the day.

Thankfully though, the sight of Archie coming inside relieved her to some extent.

It would be nice to have someone other than Emma not staring at her like she had just burnt a box full of kittens in the middle of a crisis, and she knew that the dog would do just that, be a reasonably good distraction for at least a few short moments, no matter how out of character it could appear.

She wouldn't mind the break, too, before she was sure the old dog would be sent off to calm to kids, as most animals always do.

She hadn't even been sure why she liked Pongo other than the fact he was always cheerful to greet her, just like Henry had been when he was younger.. Of course, Henry didn't drool (with the exception of when he was a baby), shed, or lack the common need for privacy. Of course two years ago, Henry no longer looked forward to seeing her, and that disappointment had changed once he returned from Neverland. Perhaps it was the time he had forced apart from all family members of the distorted and complex family tree; either way Regina was grateful that she was no longer lacking his support.

As if on instinct, Pongo bolted for the door once Archie was safe inside and Regina followed without a word, not even giving the moment a second thought as she raced through the easy six feet of snow.

She had given Henry her thicker coat, and regardless of the sweater she was wearing, she was easily freezing-and she couldn't conjure a jacket due to not wanting to take the risk after her magic having been on the... fritz this past week.

The sky was light grey from the snow, and she was sure that not all of the snow had been as well packed down onto the ground as the area outside of the hospital, thankfully; however, the dog was now at her side.

Freezing or not; however, she was still able to sense the one thing the dog had caught onto much sooner than her, someone (or rather more than just one person) had just crossed over the town line.

And whoever they were, they had managed to break through the protective barrier that Regina and Rumple had worked together on putting up not too long after Pan was taken down.

~.~.~

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?" Isabella looked out the window as she asked the question, the twelve year old knowing she's getting closer to pushing her older sister's tolerance off the cliff. Glancing over at her younger sister, Mina Davis let out an irritated huff while keeping her eyes on the snow and ice her brother's impala was being assaulted with, the lights to the family impala barely visible in the storm.

"I can't tell Bells, we should be close to the town at least, at this rate the drive was probably snowed in." Mina slowed as she saw the black form in front of her near slightly, a single honk being heard before both cars pulled off onto the side of the road. Putting her car in park, she pulled out her cell phone as she spoke, slightly relieved that there was just enough signal to make a call to the car in front of them.

Isabella groaned, forcing herself back against the seat with more force than necessary as she folded her arms and put on an over exaggerated pout, "This is the worst Valentine's day ever!"

Rolling her eyes at the second youngest in the car, Mina sorted out a plan for the night before hanging up. They'd be spending the night in a local establishment mentioned in Meghan's log, considering the hidden driveway would be near non-existent at this point in the storm.

What was supposed to take a mere five minutes had ended up taking half an hour of their time, thankfully when they got to the bed and breakfast the building itself had not been left to face the weather on its own.

Parking the car Mina shifted to look at Isabella as she turned on the overhead lights, "Stay here, I'll be back out in a few minutes Izzi." grabbing her purse as she adjusted her coat before heading out of the car, following the taller of the two men into the establishment.

"Excuse me, Do you have any rooms available?" Mina's voice was soft-her irritation with her sister forgotten as she walked up to the front desk as she pulled shyly at her leather jackets sleeves, slightly relieved to see someone there, opposed to having to wait around for a while longer.

"We always do," The older woman looked from her book up at the younger duo, assuming the two were a couple at first glance, "Would you two like a forest view or one of the town square?"

Glancing up at Kolten Mina smiled. "Both, we have family waiting outside."

"Alright," Widow Lucas raised a curious brow at the two. The brunette that had gotten her attention reminded her eerily of Ruby, but the older woman could not put her thumb on why, "How long will you be staying?"

"One week.."

Eugenia nodded, moving over to grab two room keys before handing them to the the boy as she grabbed her log. "Can I see some I.D.?"

Shuffling through her purse quickly, Mina fell for the small joke as she pulled it out silently, handing it to the older woman as she wrote down the name in the log, the older woman tried not to look surprised, thankfully going unnoticed by the supposed couple. Handing the I.D. back to the shorter of the two, Eugenia waited for the two to head back outside before going back to her book.

One week. With out-of-towner's it either means they will be moving into the small town, or are here to cause trouble. It was always one of the two...

Outside Kolten pulled Mina off to the side of the porch before they went to both of the cars.

"There is are shifter's living there, I can smell it."

"Relax, Kolten. It's only for one week, it's not like we'll be living here permanently, that just means that you'll be harder to sniff out." Mina's voice sounded as though he had been ridiculous, and all though she knew he needed to see reason; part of her honestly didn't care at this point so long as she had a warm bed to sit in and a town to settle into.

The idea of permanency and stability had been the many allure of moving into the small town after that night of reading her lovers old leather bound journal. They had been through so much in the past few years, and it seemed at though sometimes Kolten still forgot that her daughter had never truly had a place to live in and call her own. Hera Anastasia had slowly been raised to be just as nomadic as Kolten and Christian, Mina wanted to put a stop to that before she grew too adjusted to stop.

"I don't feel comfortable with this, Jay-Jay" Kolten folded his arms as he looked down at Mina, his older sister being a foot and 'an inch shorter than him.

"Colt' I promise, everything will be fine, alright? If there's any trouble you can leave at first bark, or whatever.." Not sparing another second for him to argue with her, she walked up to the impala and knocked on the front door to get Christian's attention "We're going in."

Leaving the men to take the bags inside and get everything sorted out, Mina got into the back seat of her car and carefully pulled the sleeping three year old from her car seat and into her waiting arms.

Keeping the small form safe from the attacking snow as she rushed her sister inside, she tried to be cautious enough not to wake the small child sleeping in her arms knowing she more than deserved to be down for the night after nearly three days worth of travel.

* * *

Regina ran back into the hospital with Pongo trotting happily behind her.

_This can't be happening._

Walking up to Rumpelstiltskin she grabbed him by the arm and spun him around to face her.

"Tell me someone did not just walk over the border."

"That would be lying." Rumpelstiltskin did nothing to hide his annoyance at being torn away from his Belle, "Now if you will excuse me, we have a baby to plan for."

* * *

___Mina pounded her hand against the bathroom door that connected Mina's bedroom to Kolten's room as she tried in vain to open the door. She could hear Mal's screams growing louder as the flames continued on. Running out of the room, Mina went into the hall to the other entrance to Kolt's door, twisting the knob only to let out a hiss of pain as the metal burnt her skin._

___Forcing the majority of her weight against the door, Mina struggled to try and open the door once more before running back to the bathroom, pounding on the door once more._

Right now, I have to think ******for **her. ___Mal's words echoed through her head before the crossbreed put both hands to her ears, her nails digging into her skull as she tried to block out the screams of her lover. For several moments is all Mina could hear was the sound of the flames and the sound of her adrenaline ridden heartbeat before the door was ripped off of it's hinges by an invisible force and she was engulfed by the rush of greedy flames meeting oxygen._

___She couldn't stop the violence._

___She couldn't stop the day to day torture upon her family._

___She couldn't think of a way to save the mother of the child growing in her womb._

___Mina had never felt more helpless in her entire life then that very moment._

___Suddenly the area changed around her, going from the lawn of her mothers burning house to what seemed to be a tomb._

___Walking down an empty torch-lit hall, Mina looked back through blurred vision to see nothing but the darkness behind her. Shrugging off the sinking feeling in her gut she folded her arms and walked forward, stopping only to get one of the torches off of the wall. _

___Mina walked the length of the tunnel, only to stop at a set of two huge matching wooden doors with black iron framing, and an odd gold design swirling around specific parts of the wood. Pausing suddenly, Mina chewed on her lip slightly as she looked down the hall._

___She knew she was dreaming now, the sting of loss still motivating her every desire even in her unconsciousness._

___Mina reached out to the door tentatively and turned the handles on either side of the doors before pushing with all of her strength. Slowly but surely the old wood gave way before Mina entered the room._

___Gold was everywhere, jewels strewn across nearly every corner of the huge burial chamber. A large tapestry was on the opposite side of the room from where she was standing, depicting faintly the night sky from where she grew up as a child as the stars seemed to dance around the tapestry with no grounding to the portrait. On one side of the top of the wall lied a marble fountain, it's waters glowing from the remains of lake Nostos (or what she now knew it to be) as it poured down into the small gathering pond. Looking over to the other side, more gold was everywhere, along with several old portraits of people she bore no interest in. Walking in further, Mina set the torch down in a nearby holder as she walked up to the main centerpiece of the room, only to hear a slither behind her as she turned around to meet blue-green eyes._

Mina sat up in a panic, breathing frantically as she looked around the small room in the bed and breakfast, struggling to regain a sense of ground as her eyes locked on the small sleeping form next to her. Raking a hand through her hair, Mina focused on returning her breathing to normal as she closed her eyes. Mina nearly thought she felt the familiar thumping of _her _heart beating furiously against her chest as the oldest sibling watched over her sister and her daughter as they slept side by side, unaware of the night terrors plaguing her.

Feeling relieved at not waking up either two Mina raked a hand through her hair a second time before quietly slipping out from underneath the welcoming covers, blindly padding her way over to the decent sized bathroom with all intents of taking one of the world's longest showers.

~.~.~.~

Mina stepped out of the shower to a blast of cold air.

Shifting slightly to the side she paused to look at herself as her breath caught in her throat at the scar her brother had left her, it was nearly healed and looked nearly unnoticeable to people who weren't looking for it, but she still felt the same ounce of misplaced pride in the accident.

Hazel eyes raked the scar on her leg for several minutes before she blinked out of her small trance, Mina grabbed a towel from the door and wrapped it around her hourglass frame before drying her hair the best she could with another towel and combing it out to fall properly from the top left side of her head, her bangs falling over her right cheek before she spent several moments twisting her over-grown bangs so that they gave off an unsuspected look of sophistication. Clipping it up in the way Clair had taught her too after so miserably failing on a simple hair cut Mina huffed softly, too impatient to deal with the grueling task of straightening out her hair. Going into the small bedroom, she had to maneuver carefully around the small toys scattered around occasionally until she made her way over to a small dresser next to the bed and pulled out a matching set of lingerie dark enough to not show through the dress already laid out on the full sized bed.

Tugging on the midnight blue lingerie quickly she shimmied into the dress before scouring a good half of the room in search for one of her form fitted leather jackets.

When Mina succeeded in finding the jacket she walked over to the bed, checking her cellphone in between getting dressed only to find four messages from Christian saying the three, and Hera, had gone down to Granny's diner for breakfast.

Tugging on a pair of boots Mina looked over at the mirror in the shower before forcing a nervous smile at her reflection before walking out of the room, purse in hand as she headed down to the small diner.

******Across town**

Regina paced the length of her hallway, glancing over the stairs nervously. Of course, she knew what choice Emma would make, but she couldn't help but hope that she would finally get the ending she so desperately desired. Even though that would put a permanent strain on Emma and Snow's relationship.

Of course, deep down she knew it wouldn't work out-it never had for her. And, despite how much she still despised the pixie-haired woman, Regina knew she could not get in the way of Emma and Snow's relationship; after so many years wasted Emma had finally found her real parents-Regina would never get in the way of whatever Emma chooses, no matter how much it might hurt her.

Regina scoffed, putting her hands on her hips as she looked out the window from her spot in the hall. This entire situation wouldn't be happening if it weren't for Snow's 'charming' ability of getting into every single important moment of Regina's life ever since the two had met.

Yet no matter how far down the path of darkness and destruction she had ventured on in the past, she would never take back the moment she saved Snow White's life, regardless of how many times she claimed she had, the heartbreak of losing Daniel, and the sheer agony of being married to Snow's father. She had never taken a child's life, no matter how lost she became, and she never intended to.

However, the moment Snow came bursting into the apartment, interrupting Emma's declaration, Emma's proposal, with nothing but reasons against asking, Regina had wanted to cross the room and crush her slowly blackening heart.

Because it's **wrong**.

What about Neal?

She's still _**Regina**__._

Although Emma had argued that the latter was the reason that she had most wanted to marry her for, Snow was still as inconsolable as ever on the subject of the dark queen even after Neverland.

And deep down, Regina knew the true reason of Snow's struggles.

Then there had been the incident that had occurred during the storm. Even though Gold had assured that it was nothing for her to fear and Emma had promised to take care of the issue, Regina could feel the change coming, and secretly it had more than worried her. In the past year the entire town had nothing but adventure after adventure after nearly thirty years of silence and peace (Well, as peaceful as it could get being under the dark curse, anyways).

Shaking her head, Regina put on her coat and walked out the door, preparing to come face-to-face with Snow before what was supposed to be the impromptu wedding.

~.~.~

Mina walked into the diner, only to nearly fall back when a set of pale arms wrap around her knees in a hug.

Smiling warmly, Mina knelt down to Hera's height and stared into blue pools for mere seconds before picking her up and carrying her over to Christian's booth once she spotted Isabella. "Did you order already?" Sliding into the empty booth, Mina let Hera rest in her lap as she took off her jacket.

"Belgium waffles with whipped cream and extra strawberry sauce." Christian looked up from his cell and gave her a smug half smile, "Kolten ordered for you before he left to check on the house."

Nodding as she grabbed the orange juice in front of Christian, Mina took a sip before turning to Bella "How is school going?"

Isabella shrugged, keeping her eyes on the book in front of her, "fine."

"I heard they have a good public school here.." Christian piped up, only to be rewarded with a look close to murder from Bella.

Deciding to intervene, Mina smiled warmly at Isabella as Hera started to tug on Mina's hair, trying to make a braid in her mothers hair as Mina kept her attention on Bells "Well, we aren't moving around any more, how about you chose when the moment suits you? There's no rush."

Isabella opened her mouth to say thank you but was sidetracked when she saw a pixie-haired woman walk into the diner. Turning around, Mina looked to follow her sisters sight-loosening her grip on Hera as the three year old squirmed out of her mothers grasp and off of the booth. As Regina followed in shortly after, Mina stopped her effort on following after her daughter as the youngest of the family of five ran up to the second brunette.

As Hera suddenly hugged her without a seconds thought, Mina found herself stopping in the process of getting out of the booth herself.

The woman in front of her was gorgeous, without a doubt. The way the stranger had carried herself reminded her so strangely of Hera's other parent, it nearly broke her heart and had one of the pierces picked up at the same time. Mina knew that her fear of Hera's safety had been more than rational in the past, but now that they had finally gotten away, would be so bad to not fear every corner? Of course, there would probably never be any true escape from those hunting them, the scars they had left were far too deep, but did they truly have to be so cautious for the rest of their lives?

Snapping out of her mini trance Mina got up and walked over to Hera, scooping her up into her arms perfectly in one movement when she had the chance before she stood up to face the older brunette, not noticing the raven hair woman standing next to her staring at Hera as though she had won a race walking backwards on only her hands.

"I'm sorry about that, Hera doesn't normally run off anywhere." Mina smiled shyly, tightening her grip protectively around Hera as she held her.

"It's quite alright, dear."

Mina paused chewing on her lip gently as she set Hera down, "Why don't you go ask Christian if he can tell Kolten that I will be late, hmm?"

Waiting for the youngest to nod, Mina smiled when she clumsily skipped off to talk to her uncle before turning around and holding out her hand to the stranger, "My names Mina."

"Mina.." Rolling the name around on her tongue the older brunette put on a politician smile, taking her hand before adding shortly after, "Regina Mills, I'm the mayor of this town. I don't think I've seen you around before, are you just passing through?"

"Actually, we just moved here," Mina offered a natural smile, not noticing the raven haired women currently tensing up next to the mayor, "But we're staying at the bed and breakfast until our house is-"

"Jay, foods here." Christian raised his voice loud enough for Mina to hear as she turned around for a second before looking back at Regina, "It was nice to meet you, Regina."

~.~

Mina walked down one of the halls of the church-or was it a nunnery? She could never remember, for her family they all served the same purpose; allowing Isabella (and occasionally 'Kolt) to merely have time to think. However; unlike all of the times in the past, Mina had felt as though she was walking with a second purpose, as though she were being pulled along by an invisible hand.

Every moment she felt as though she would turn a corner and come face to face with Hera's mother.

Looking around for her younger sister, Mina walked down the hall, only to stop in her tracks at the sound of a familiar voice.

"I'm sorry." Emma still held onto Regina's hand, "I've been waiting for as long as I can remember to finally have a family, to know my real parents, and now that I do, I just..-"

"You shouldn't have to chose between me or your family."

Silence hung in the air as Mina ignored the unnatural pull towards the door and prepared to turn around-feeling sick at the thought of interrupting something so clearly not meant to fall upon her ears.

* * *

******Four Years Ago**

The clock in the main room chimed as it alerted the small store to the nights arrival.

The sun had just begun to set, it's rays casting a million different hues into the sky

As customers filed out of the building one by one, Kolten looked up at Mina from behind the counter before returning to his book.

Mina smiled briefly at her younger brother before walking over to the front door, flipping the open sign over so as not to get anymore costumers.

Folding her arms, Mina slowly sauntered over to her brother, a heavy weight lifted off of her shoulders.

"We should get going soon."

Licking his index finger, Kolten turned a page of his book-not giving his half sister a second glance, "One more hour."

Smiling slightly, the crossbreed nodded and walked down the general store's hallways, organizing small items here and there that had been shifted around the store from unsure shoppers.

With Mina's thoughts on the upcoming festival, she paid no notice to time as she went about her normal routines of watering plants, closing and locking windows, putting away any fruits and vegetables into their proper storage for overnight.

Walking back over to the counter, she wiped down the counter before counting out the money made throughout the day, putting it into the back room before walking back to the counter, quietly taking out the meager change from the tip jar, rolling her eyes at how little difference it would make at home.

Pocketing the five given from an old teacher, Mina locked the register before pulling on her black double breasted wool coat that fell just under her hips, looping her scarf around her collar-leaving the coat unbuttoned and relaxed.

Walking over to Kolten, Mina tilted her head as she looked her almost-eighteen-year-old brother in the eyes, gently nudging the tip of her favorite wedges against jean clad legs. "Ready now?"

"You forgot something."

Rolling her eyes, she folded her arms after walking over to a nearby table and tugging her purse onto her shoulder. "That'll take too long, I can do it in the morning."

"Right," Kolten got up, hanging the old blanket over an old sitting chair, "leave me to do the math."

Acting annoyed, Kolten tugged on a worn hoodie as they walked outside, Mina locking the door and handing him the keys after doing so, following their path up the small village, walking down the highway silently, shoulders occasionally bumping into one another throughout the comfortable silence.

As the two walked across the main road, Mina lowered her head in thought, only to be interrupted by Kolten's sudden insistence of taking a short cut through the grave yard.

Swayed by the idea of not having to walk three hours through the 'safer' route Mina obliged, using her phone for lighting as they passed the graveyard of the relatively quite town.

She reached up and folded her arm around Kolten's own as they walked once again uphill, nearing the exit of the graveyard.

The silence that had shrouded the two in comfort was suddenly interrupted as a man leaped out of the bushes, knife in one hand, gun in the opposite, waving the knife around like a mad man.

"Don't move!"

Mina raised her hands in the air, stepping in front of her brother despite it doing nothing to hide the six foot four tour as her phone, still aglow as it cast an eerie light on the mans face before her mouth hung open in nothing but shock.

"Cameron?" Kolten's voice sounded behind her as she took a step back, her brother doing the same on cue.

"I said don't move, bitch!" Bringing the knife across her face, the man marred the clear fair skin of Mina's cheek with a streak of crimson.

Bringing her hand to her cheek in silence, she could hear the man in front of them bringing shame to their names as Mina slowly slipped her phone into her brothers jean pocket, only to nearly have him push her out of the way when the word whore slipped out of the older mans mouth.

Mina reached back and squeezed his hand reassuringly, the only fear flowing in her veins being that of the idea of losing her brother.

Another man appeared out of the bush also armed, and suddenly Kolten was shoving Mina away from him.

As every word blurred, Mina's stubbornness was found in leaving her brother. Gripping onto his hand tightly, she kicked off her wedges as they ran into the graveyard, Running over hill and trunks with grace from years of playing in the woods as children.

Running behind a statue of one of the founders of the village, Kolten ducked Mina down onto the earth as her head fell from out of the clouds in turn.

Mina buried her head in his shoulder as she struggled to get her breathing under control.

Flashlights were cast among the trees as the taller of the duo held his breath, echo's of howling and hooting the once silent graveyard.

"Go ahead. I'll take them."

Mina looked at her younger brother in disbelief, "You've got to be kidding me.."

"It's my turn to protect. You've been doing it all your life, I don't need a full moon."

Looking with wide eyes, Mina nodded and shifted her position before scrambling up from her spot and running down the hill.

"COME ON OUT, WOLF BOY!"

Mina ducked under a tombstone, her breath catching in her throat as she heard a familiar growl drifting throughout the moonlit village, only to be followed by a rustle of leaves and a desperate whimper behind a loud thud of skin-on-fur contact.

Covering her mouth with her hand, Mina shut her eyes as she heard grass crunching faintly behind her.

* * *

"So sped they. At last the north-wind  
Began to grow chill and bleak;  
Their dresses were torn and faded,  
Their feet were weary and weak."

Mina's voice was quietly filled the room as though every word was cherished as she gently laid her half asleep daughter down on the bed in their temporary room at the bed and breakfast.

"So nature, the loving mother,  
Who had watched them with many fears,  
Laid them to rest on the brown earth,  
She had softened with her tears;"

Pulling the covers over the three year old's sleeping form, she folded her arms and smiled softly before sitting down on the edge of the bed, re-adjusting the covers before reaching over to grab the stuffed dragon off of the bedside to put it in her daughters waiting arms.

"Then covered them tenderly, softly  
with earths old' blankets  
warm and deep,-  
Her children, tired of playing,  
And weary, and full of sleep."

Leaning down to kiss her daughter's cheek, she smiled softly at Hera's sleeping form before reaching over and dulling the lamps light. Getting up, she walked back into Kolten and Christian's bedroom, where the rest of her family had been in.

"She's out like a light." Sighing softly, Mina walked over to her brother and downed the rest of her drink that had been resting at his side.

Nodding slightly, Kolten looked over to his tired adoptive (and younger) sister before looking up at the older of the two girls, "Be back safely."

Mina shrugged slightly, grabbing her coat as she headed for the door, "I'll always come back for you guys."

Shortly after Mina left, Isabella grabbed her blanket and book off of her brothers bed, along with a flashlight before heading towards the door that led to the bedroom Hera was so heavily sleeping in.

~.~.~

Mina entered the White Rabbit, looking around curiously before finding a spot off into the corner.

She needed time to think. To plan.

Honestly she had no idea how the little 'plot' of hers was going to go down with the rumors she'd heard, but a chance at saving M was a chance well beyond worth taking.

She'd go through every gate of hell before she gave up, and she was willing to prove it.

As Mina allowed herself to get whisked away into her own thoughts, she didn't notice the short haired brunette approaching from behind her.

* * *

**A/N:**The poem (or part of it) is from the frolic of the leaves. It may be slightly altered because LibreOffice sucks, but who knows.

Please review and tell me what you think, preferably if anyone wants to see more. If so, updates should be posted from one to two weeks per chapter, though they will probably not be as long as this one.


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